Card-holding device.



PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

13. N. HEATH. CARD HOLDINGDEVICE. APPLICATION FILED, FEB. 2a. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL.

. 17006725601. Z'lrgyiffle cal /k,

wzfiwsses,

TH: Nouns PETERS c0, PHOTO-LITNQ. wAsnmaToku-e No. 753,882. PATENTED MAR. 8,1904.

' E. N. HEATH.

CARD HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1903;

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Tn: uonms FETERS 00,. PHOYO-LITNCL. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES Patented March 8, 1904.

PATENT OF ICE.

ELROY N. HEATH, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JAMES FRED PARKER, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARD-HOLDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,882, dated March 8, 1904.

Application filed February 28, 1903. Serial No. 145,510. (No model.)

v To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELRoY N. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wakefield, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Card-Holding Devices, ofv which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention consists in a new and improved form of card-holding device and may be employed in connection with a variety of games and for many difierent purposes.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description and accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof particularly intended to carry out the game of duplicate whist, in connection with which I have found my invention to have particular utility.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my card-holding device looking from the top with the card-pockets spread open. Fig. 2 is a similar plan view looking from the bottom. Fig. 3is aview showing the card-pockets partially closed. Fig. 4: is a view in perspective showing the card-pockets in their closed position with the separated parts of the card-pack secured therein. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of fastening device. Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which the said card-holding device may be employed as a cardcase to hold unseparated an entire pack of cards, and Fig.7 is an end view of the same. Referring to the drawings, when I employ -my invention in connection with duplicate whist I preferably employ four card-holders, which herein I show in the form of pockets a, b, 0, and cl, although for other purposes the number of these holders may of course be varied. These pockets may be made of any suitable material and in any suitable form; but I prefer to construct the same as shown in the drawings, where the card insertion or open ends of the pocketsassume outwardlyradiating positions when the pockets are ex tendedor spread open, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pockets preferably near or toward their opposite ends are secured in some manner, as by the pivotal or hinged connection aflorded by the tape or string 6, which is preferably fixedly secured to the outer sides of the outer pockets and passes freely through holes in the inner pockets and the inner sides of the outer pockets, which may be eyeleted, if desired. This forms a simple and effective pivotal connection and also provides for a use,

to which I will refer, for the separate pockets; but it is of course to be understood that in this as well as other details my invention is in no wise limited to the construction shown. Itwill beseen that the holders are serially connected-that is, the connecting means en:

gages the several holders in series. The ends of the pockets opposite the card insertion or open ends may be closed, if desired, or for the.

sake of simplicity they may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4, where the cord or tape eprevents the escape of the cards from those ends of the pockets. The pivotal connection described'permits the same to be spread open in a fan-like manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or to be brought together to register one with another, as shown in Fig. 4:, or to assume any intermediate position, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

By constructing the card-holding device so that the holders move parallel to the faces of the contained cards and so that the faces of the cards themselves are arranged in parallel relation'in both collapsed and extended positions the device may be laid flat upon the table before the players in either collapsed or extended position, and when in the latter position, lying flat on the table, is in a situation to receive the cards 'or permit their withdrawal, as becomes necessary during the play, with the utmost facility. a

In playing duplicate whist it is desirable that each of the hands of cards, which in the device herein described may be placed in the several pockets, should be placed in front of the player and that the pockets when spread open should therefore assume 7 positionssubstantially ninety degrees apart. For the purpose of thus spacing the pockets when the same are opened I employ a spacer consisting of the cord or tape f or other suitable means shown herein, secured to the back of each pocket, so that when the case is spread open, as shown in Fig; 2, the spacer compels the pockets to assume their proper positions. hen the pockets are closed over each other, the cord slides in between the several pockets, as shown in Fig. 3.

The pocket (0 is provided with a flap 9, having an eyelet-hole 71, such that when the pockets are in the closed-in position the flap may be brought over and to inclose the open ends of the pockets, in which position it may be held by placing the eyelet-hole it over the button 27 upon the outer face of the pocket Z1. The flap is secured in this position by the snap is, adapted to snap over the button '21 and carried by the free flexible end 7, secured to the back of the pocket 4-, and which, as in the present instance, may be a continuation of the cord f. Fig. I shows the flap secured in position by the snap placed over the button. When the pockets are in their open or playing position, the free end of the cord Z is carried over the face of the pocket 6 and the snap placed in position, as shown in Fig. l, which effectively locks or holds the pockets in the positions shown.

As is usual in duplicate-whist-playing devices I may and preferably do employ means for preserving the proper relation of the different hands in original and duplicate play. The arrow-heads shown associated with the pocket (0 or any other desired symbol may be used to mark a pocket or holder in each set, which in the original play is to become the repository forthe hand played by a selected one of the four players, which hand in the duplicate play is ,to be played by one of his opponents. Some other word, character, or symbol, such as the word dealer shown in Fig. 1, applied to one of the pocketsmay be employed to determine the hand from which the leading card is to be played. This latter symbol will of course be applied to different pockets relatively to the pocket designated by the arrow-head in the different sets of hands, in a set of sixteen original hands preferably appearing four times upon each pocket, so that each player will receive the lead four times. These marks and indications are usual and well known in duplicate whist, and in whatsoever form or manner heretofore employed may also be used in connection with my invention. I preferably indicate the number of the hand or set by a numeral placed upon the back of the pocket (4, where it is the least exposed to observation and need not be seen during the duplicate play.

It will be obvious that the specific details which I have herein described may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, further, that whilel have here shown the same as embodied in a duplicate-whist device it may be employed with suitable modification in many other games,

and may, moreover, be useful in other situations where separated cards or the like are to be held.

It often happens that where separate cardholding pockets are required in a device of this kind a receptacle is also desirable capable of holding the entire pack unseparated. This, for example, is desirable in duplicate whist, where it permits the utilization of the card-holder as a receptacle for the entire unseparated pack without the necessity for arranging the hands previous to the original play. In the form of my invention described reference to Fig. 6 will show how I am enabled to employ my card device as a pack holder or cardcase for holding the entire pack of cards unseparated when desired. The pack of cards may be inserted between any two of the pockets which separate to allow for its insertion, and when the flap is placed over the button 71 and the snap secures the same the cards are held on all four sides in a neat and convenient card-case. The cards may be kept in the case in this manner until the original hand is to be played, when they may be dealt as usual, and after the original play inserted, each hand separately in its proper pocket, when the case is again closed up until needed in the duplicate play.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of means for fastening the flap and holding the pockets extended. This comprises as a substitute for the snap and button shown in Fig. 4: an ordinary form of paper-fastener, comprising the paper or other disk m, about which may be twisted the free flexible end Z, which in this instance is preferably a piece of fine twine.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is as follows:

1. A collapsible card-holding device comprising a plurality of pivotally-connected cardholders holding their respective cards with their faces in substantially parallel relation in both the collapsed and extended positions of said device, thereby permitting said holder when extended to lie flat upon the table or other support.

2. A collapsible card-holding device provided with a plurality of holders having retaining-walls engaging the card-faces and having an opening and closing movement parallel with the retaining-walls.

3. A collapsible card-holding device comprising a plurality of card-holding pockets opened and closed by movements in substantially parallel planes and provided with means for securing said pockets in their extended positions.

L. In a collapsible card-holdingdevicea plurality of pivotally-connected card-holders and means for defining the position of said holders when extended.

5. A collapsible card-holding device provided with a plurality of holders having an Ice IIO

v separated parts of a pack, and holding their v tween said holders.

opening and closing movement in the same general direction, and means for securing said holders in their extended and collapsed positions.

6. A collapsible card-holding device having pivotally-connected card-holders for holding respective cards with their faces in substantially parallel relation in both the collapsed and extended positions of said device, and means for holding the pack unseparated be- 7 A collapsible card-holding device having a plurality of card-holding pockets swingingly connected to collapse and extend by a ,I5

fan-like movement of one holder over another,

separating means for determining the separation of said pockets when extended, and means for securing said holders when collapsed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ELROY N. HEATH. Witnesses:

'THoMAs B. BOOTH,

ALIoE RICHMOND BROWN. 

